We Don't Have To Worry About 'Tenet' Anymore, As The Film Can Still Open On Labor Day Without New York And L.A.

It seems like we can stop the candlelight vigils for Christopher Nolan‘s “Tenet.” The endless speculation of when and if the movie was going to be released in theaters this year seemingly got shut down with Warner Bros. announcing a September 2 U.S. release date. But even wafter the announcement, there was still confusion over how a release date would work when the Los Angeles and New York markets are still closed. Now we may finally have an answer.

As of right now, “Tenet” will be released in select cities on September 2, which would indicate Warner Bros. is anticipating that the movie won’t be playing everywhere on that day. Unlike indie films, which typically open in L.A. and New York first, however, “Tenet” may go the other way around and open everywhere but those two markets.

A new report from IndieWire suggests that Nolan blockbuster may not need New York and Los Angeles after all. The report compiles an exhaustive list of the current rules for re-opening theaters, including extensive research done by the National Association of Theater Owners, as well as interviews with sources in “some of the riskier regions” to see whether cinemas in different states might make the release date for “Tenet.”

According to the data available, the report states that only Arizona, California, New Jersey and New York face the possibility of movie theaters not being open by Labor Day weekend. Out of these, Arizona is the only state with a set re-opening date of August 9, but even then several large metropolitan areas like Seattle and Detroit lack the approval to re-open theaters.

Even without these territories, IndieWire concludes that even if New York and California don’t make the “Tenet” release date, over 80% of the U.S. population would still be able to risk their lives and go see “Tenet,” probably while singing “Let’s All go to the Lobby” through their face masks.